


As I Know You

by Baller_Butterfly25



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artemis x Wally, Bullying, Eventual Smut, F/F, Gotham Academy, Gotham North Public High, Spitfire - Freeform, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-06 10:44:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13409580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baller_Butterfly25/pseuds/Baller_Butterfly25
Summary: "Artemis Crock; that's you, right? Interesting name."





	1. Transfer Student

**Author's Note:**

> First Spitfire fanfic! Get ready for the angst.

"Z, you have no idea how happy I am that you transferred to Gotham North." Zatanna rolled her eyes, shoving lightly at her best friend's shoulder. 

"Aw, you flatter me, Artemis," she replied, letting out a laugh as the blonde scoffed. 

"I'm being serious!" Artemis exclaimed, digging her books out of her locker. "Seriously; with archery practice after school and two tests this week, you transferring has been the highlight of my day." 

"And, possibly, the school year?" Zatanna drawled out. Artemis rolled her eyes, slamming her locker door shut. 

"Don't push it," she muttered, earning a playful pout from Zatanna as the two turned and began walking toward their Pre-Calculus class. 

"I'm just glad that my dad finally allowed me to go to a public school," Zatanna muttered, letting out a sigh as the two stepped into the classroom. "He's so overprotective of me; I don't want to necessarily say that he's smothering me, but -" 

"You feel like he's smothering you," Artemis finished, earning an eye roll from Zatanna. 

"I guess," she murmured. "He's a good dad, he really is, but -" 

"Zatanna, when we were twelve, your dad refused to let you come to my birthday party because I invited my cousin," Artemis interrupted, taking a seat in the desk beside Zatanna. 

"In all fairness, your cousin was a boy!" Zatanna replied, folding her arms over her chest. "My father's decision was justified!" 

"Was it really, though?" Artemis muttered, her nose scrunching up playfully. Zatanna just rolled her eyes, and the two girls turned to the front of the classroom as their teacher came waltzing in, spouting off incoherent crap about "quadratic functions". It was no lie that Artemis believed that Pre-Calculus was a complete snooze fest, but, if she wanted to graduate, then she needed to pay attention and pull off a passing grade; not only did she already have issues with math in general, but it made it incredibly hard to concentrate when her phone began buzzing in her pocket. 

 _Who the hell would be texting me in the middle of the day?_ She thought, waiting until her teacher's back was turned before slipping her phone onto her desk, checking the screen. _Of course._  

"Z," she hissed, glancing over at the raven-haired girl beside her. Zatanna shrugged, her bottom lip jutting out the slightest bit. 

"What?" Zatanna whispered back, gesturing to her notebook in front of her. "I don't get this!" 

"And, you think that I do?" Artemis replied, letting out a scoff as she turned back to her notebook. "Just ask -" 

"Artemis Crock, is that a cellphone on your desk?" 

Artemis' head shot up as she came face-to-face with her teacher, who was staring down at her with the flattest look Artemis had ever seen. 

"U-Uh, no, ma'am," Artemis stuttered, giving her teacher the most convincing smile she could muster. Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, her phone went off, signaling that she'd received yet another text message, though this one wasn't from her best friend. 

"Oh, really?" Her teacher muttered, tapping a finger on the desktop in front of Artemis. "Then, I suggest you take whatever the hell that thing is and bring it to the principal." Artemis scoffed, her mouth falling open as she stared up at her teacher in disbelief. 

"Are you serious?" She retorted, shaking her head. "The office over one measly text?" 

"Did you, or did you not pull your phone out in the middle of class?" The teacher replied, to which Artemis sighed. 

"Well, yeah, but -" 

"Don't worry, hon; I'm sure the principal would love to hear the last part of your story," the teacher replied boredly, turning away from Artemis' desk as she sauntered back to the front of the room. "Make sure you take your things with you." Artemis hesitated in her seat for a moment before shaking her head, letting out an irritated growl. She then shoved away from her desk, ignoring the chorus of "oooohs" and snickers that erupted from her classmates as she snatched her books from her desk and stomped over to the door. She shot Zatanna an apologetic look before stepping out in to the hall, shutting the door behind her. 

"God, I'm seriously going to murder Jade," she hissed as she glanced down at her phone. "Who the hell texts about toilet paper at 9 AM?!" She ignored her sister's text and looked over her shoulder to shove her phone back in the pocket of her jeans, but as she turned back, she accidentally bumped into someone, causing her books to fall out of her arms. 

"Sorry about that," a voice beside her mumbled, and she looked over to see a boy wearing a dark red hoodie and jeans bending down to scoop up her books. She cocked an eyebrow, watching as he picked up her Pre-Calculus book and binder from the floor. "Here." 

"Thanks," Artemis muttered, taking her books from the stranger. "Um, I don't mean to get all up in your business, but they don't allow hoods in the building; something with security cameras and such." The stranger beside her let out a low hum before raising a hand to his head, pulling back the hood that shielded his face. 

"Thanks for that," he replied, letting out a light chuckle. "I'd hate to get into too much trouble on my first day." Artemis couldn't reply as she gawked curiously at the boy in front of her. When he'd pulled away the hood, she honestly hadn't been expecting to see a freckle-faced, green-eyed redhead underneath. She didn't recognize him, either; she couldn't recall any instances where she would have seen him around school. While there seemed to be an incredibly strong childish aura about him, Artemis couldn't deny that he looked good; pretty damn good, in fact. 

"Are you okay?" The boy muttered, his brow knitting together as he waved a hand in front of Artemis' face. "I didn't concuss you, right?" Artemis hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, letting out a stiff cough. 

"I'm tougher than I look," she replied, tucking her books into her side. "You couldn't concuss me even if you tried." The boy in front of her looked surprised, though he laughed nonetheless. 

"You know, you'd make a wonderful football player," he mused, and Artemis couldn't help but smile. 

"I'd be better than anyone on the team we've got," she replied. "Seriously, those guys -" 

 _"Artemis Crock, please report to the principal's office."_ Artemis scoffed, tilting her head up to glare at the intercom speaker above her head before looking back at the boy in front of her. 

"God, that bitch is relentless," she muttered aloud, letting out an irritated sigh. "Sorry, but, as much fun as this has been, I've got places to be." She shot the boy a quick wave before stepping around him, continuing on her trip to the office. 

"You're headed to the office?" The boy called from behind her, and Artemis was surprised to see that he was now at her side, matching her steps. "Mind if I tag along? I'm kind of lost." Artemis aimlessly shrugged, clicking her tongue as she continued to stare straight ahead. 

"Artemis Crock," the boy suddenly muttered, earning a look of surprise from Artemis. "That's you, right?" Artemis didn't reply, simply nodding as the pair turned the corner and headed into a different hallway. "Interesting name." 

"Thanks," she finally muttered, letting out a sigh as the two finally approached the front office. She payed no mind to the secretary sitting at the front desk as she shoved the door open, taking a seat on the bench just inside the door. 

"Artemis," the secretary greeted flatly, her eyes never leaving the computer screen in front of her. "It says here that you were dismissed from class over fifteen minutes ago." 

"Does it, really?" Artemis replied, letting out a fake gasp. "I apologize; I'll be sure to be quicker next time." 

"For your sake, let's hope there _isn't_ a next time." 

Artemis shuddered uncomfortably as the principal's minatory voice split the air, and she stood from the bench, refusing to make eye contact as she stepped into his office. 


	2. Who Are You, Wallace West?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Okay, Artemis, but you have to admit; the new guy is HOT."

"What is it this time, Miss Crock?" The principal muttered as he shut the door behind her, taking a seat at his desk across from the chair Artemis was seated in. Artemis shrugged, folding her arms across her chest.

"You tell me," Artemis replied, shrugging. "I was simply trying to help out a friend on the ridiculous assignments that you guys require us to do -"

"You'll have to be more specific," the principal interrupted, folding his hands on the desktop in front of him. "Considering the fact that the list time you 'helped out a friend', it resulted in the captain of the cheer squad getting a black eye." Artemis had to press her lips into a thin line to prevent herself from laughing as the memory briefly flashed in her mind.

"Hey, the chick had a bee on her," Artemis replied, shaking her head. "If it would have stung her, then it would have only added to the swelling of her already-over-inflated ego; in all reality, I was doing her a solid." The principal's gaze lingered on Artemis for a second longer before he sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"Listen, Artemis," he muttered, his gaze returning to the blonde in front of him. "Using references from our guidance councilor, I've been able to waver your behavior in the past, but I can't keep using the same excuses. I understand that your situation at home isn't exactly the best -"

"Pretty unprofessional to talk about that kind of thing in school, isn't it?" Artemis hissed, the scowl returning to her face. "Now, I'm here because I pulled my phone out in the middle of class; what's the damage?"

"I understand that each classroom has different rules, but seeing as that particular teacher has a serious dislike for the devices, you should know to respect her wishes and face the consequences of your actions," the principal replied. "I don't think this is a serious enough offense to suspend you from the archery team; I feel as though detention is out of the question for such a minor offense, as well."

"So, then, what am I supposed to do?" Artemis asked, shrugging. "Can I not just be let off with a warning, or something?"

"Um, excuse me, sir, but the new transfer student is here."

"Perfect timing," the principal breathed, letting out a tired sigh as he waved his secretary away. She returned a moment later with the boy that Artemis had met in the hallway, and she couldn't help but stare as he stepped inside the office, taking the seat beside her.

"Artemis, this is Wallace West," the principal said, gesturing to the boy beside Artemis. "Seeing as he's new to us, I believe that he's going to need someone to show him around."

"And, you want _me_ to be that someone?" Artemis replied, gesturing to herself. "Really?"

"I mean, would you rather have detention as a punishment for your insubordination?" The principal replied, folding his arms across his chest as Artemis let out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, I'll do it," she mumbled, standing up from her chair. The boy, Wallace, did the same, following behind Artemis as she exited the office, stepping back out into the hallway.

"So, what first?" She muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "Want me to show you your locker, classrooms, bathrooms, locker rooms. . . ?"

"Actually, all of those would be pretty great," Wallace replied, handing over a folded piece of paper. "That should have all of my class information on it." Artemis tucked her books under her arm as she snatched up the paper and unfolded it, giving it a brief once-over.

"Not bad," she mumbled, humming quietly to herself. "You're taking advanced classes?"

"For the most part, yeah," Wallace replied, smiling. "I may not look it, but I'm actually pretty smart." Artemis scoffed, folding the paper before handing it back to Wallace.

"That makes one of us," she muttered, gesturing for Wallace to follow as she turned and began heading back down the hallway in the direction she'd come. "So, first, you have Advanced Biology, which is that door on your left. Next is P.E., which you'll have in the gym - I'll take you there when I show you the locker rooms. After that is Advanced Chemistry, which is at the end of the hall on the right, and then lunch; whether or not you go off-campus is completely up to you. For fourth period, it looks like you've got Spanish, which is right by the gym, so. . . After that, you've got Home Economics, which is the classroom right beside us, and finally, College Algebra, which I've heard is complete hell to take."

"Wow," Wallace mumbled, his eyes widening in surprise as he and Artemis paused in front of a row of lockers. "You really know this place."

"Well, I've been here for three years," Artemis replied, shrugging. "It's a pretty standard layout, anyway."

"I guess so," Wallace muttered, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. "It's bigger than my old school, that's for sure." Artemis frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

"Where, exactly, are you from, Wallace?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow as Wallace began scratching at the back of his neck.

"First of all, no offense, but I hate being called 'Wallace'," he mumbled, and Artemis couldn't help but become amused at the sheepish look on his face. "Just call me Wally. Anyway, I'm from Keystone City."

"Wow," Artemis replied, letting out a quiet hum. "From Missouri to New Jersey? That's quite a trip." Wally nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Yep," he breathed, sighing. "But, hey, I'm sure I'll adjust soon." Artemis didn't reply; it wasn't like she would have been able to get two words out, anyway, because just then, the bell rang.

"Was that the bell?" Wally asked, earning an annoyed nod from Artemis.

"Well, might as well get you to third period," she replied, dragging Wally over to her locker as she tried to avoid losing him in the wave of students that'd come flooding out of various classrooms. "You have Advanced Chemistry, right?"

"Uh, I think so -"

"Good; follow me." Artemis exchanged her math book for her chemistry one and slammed her locker door shut behind her, gesturing for Wally to follow. The two headed down a crowded hallway and into an even more crowded classroom filled with lab tables, Bunsen burners, and multiple charts and diagrams pertaining to the periodic table. 

"Teacher's over there," Artemis mumbled, nodding off toward the chemistry teacher's desk at the front of the room. "Good luck." 

"Um, thanks," Wally replied, watching as Artemis turned and stalked over to a lab table at the back of the room. She pulled out a stool and placed her books on the table, though she nearly fell out of her seat when Zatanna slammed her hand down on the table in front of her, a beyond-irritated look on her face. 

"What the hell, Artemis?" She hissed, taking a seat beside the blonde. "You were supposed to walk with me to class!" 

"Sorry, Z," Artemis replied, rolling her eyes. "The principal asked me to show some new guy around, and I lost track of time." Zatanna frowned, watching curiously as Artemis absentmindedly began drawing doodles on the lab table in front of her. 

"New guy?" Zatanna asked, to which Artemis nodded. "Well, who is he? Where is he? Is he hot?" Artemis rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to scoff. 

"Wally West, right in front of you, and I would have to say 'no'," she mumbled boredly, pointing to the front of the room. 

"Attention, class." The rest of the students that had shuffled into the classroom raised their heads to look at the teacher, who was now standing at the front of the room, Wally standing awkwardly beside him. "We have a new student joining us today from Keystone City." He then turned to Wally, gesturing to the rest of the class. "Anything you'd like to say?" 

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Artemis mumbled to Zatanna, who smiled beside her. Wally took a deep breath as his eyes scanned the classroom, and he couldn't help but smile when they finally landed on Artemis, who just cocked an eyebrow. 

"Hey, guys, I'm Wally," he suddenly announced, placing his hands on his hips as a childish grin quickly spread across his face. "Track star, total genius, God of Romance." This earned a few snickers from a couple of the other kids in the room, though Artemis could only stare in surprise. Was this seriously the same person? 

"Oh, and what's your name, beautiful?" He asked a pretty redhead sitting at the front of the room as he sauntered up to her table. The girl giggled, though she gestured to the large, raven-haired boy sitting beside her. 

"Sorry, but I'm Conner's girlfriend," she replied, and the boy beside her threw his arm around her shoulders, shooting Wally a sharp glare. Wally simply took a step back, holding a hand to his chin. 

"Interesting name," he replied, humming to himself as he grinned at Connor. "I guess you're the possessive type, then?" It was hard for Artemis not to smile as a chorus of laughter erupted from the rest of the students, but, more than anything, she was stunned. When she'd said that Wally had a boyish nature about him, she sure as hell hadn't expected this! 

" _That's_ the new transfer student?" Zatanna whispered beside her, earning a nod from Artemis. "Dude, Artemis, that guy is awesome!" Artemis scoffed, turning to Zatanna with a look of disbelief on her face. 

"Keep it in your pants, Z," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "He's way too obnoxious for someone like you." Zatanna let out a in irritated sigh as she glanced back at Wally at the front of the room, who was now leaning up against another lab table, winking at a pair of blushing blondes. 

"Okay, Artemis, but you have to admit; the new guy is HOT," she mumbled, scrunching her nose playfully as Artemis scoffed beside her. 

"Whatever works for you, Z." 


	3. Practice Makes Perfect. . . Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This thing is super cool; it's like a weapon!" 
> 
> "Put that down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are coming as fast as I can write them!

Artemis couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the last bell of the day rang, and she wasted no time in darting out of her pottery class, ignoring the curious gazes she was receiving for the clay smears on her black crop top. She made her way to the gym and into the girls' locker room, where she stripped out of her clothes and pulled on her practice gear. She then headed out onto the football field, where she met up with the rest of the archery team on the sidelines. 

"Alright, ladies," their coach announced, blowing his whistle. The girls all gathered around, each of them pulling their hair up into a high ponytail. "Because the track team has begun using the track for their after-school practices, we've been asked to move our practices to the baseball field." The coach feel silent as a chorus of groans erupted from his team, and he held up a hand, the group eventually falling silent. "I know that it's not exactly ideal, but, due to safety regulations, we can't shoot when there are other teams having practice in the area." 

"This is stupid," a brunette beside Artemis muttered, shaking her head. "We've been practicing here for weeks, and then, all of a sudden, the track team gets to just waltz in here and take over our practice space?" 

"Well, to be fair, we shoot on the football field," Artemis replied, folding her arms across her chest. "The track wraps around the field; what other choice do they have?" 

"Streets have sidewalks for a reason," a redhead on her left mumbled, earning a few snickers from the other girls surrounding her. Artemis rolled her eyes, stepping toward the front of the group to stand beside the coach. 

"Guys, listen," she began, gesturing to the track team, who'd already begun sauntering onto the field. "I don't like hauling our heavy equipment to the other side of the school any more than you do, but we need to suck it up. The track team needs a track; compromising is a big part of sharing practice space." 

"Easy for you to say," the brunette from before piped up, scoffing. "I just don't think it's fair that we should have to move after rightfully claiming the field." 

"Well, as your Captain, I say that we do exactly as coach says," Artemis snipped back, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the girl in front of her. "Any other contradictions?" The group fell silent as the girls all looked around at each other; while most had irritated looks on their faces, they still all mumbled in agreement, though Artemis could already feel the mood of the group turning sour. "Good." 

"Alright, ladies, let's move!" The coach announced, gesturing to the equipment shed on the other side of the bleachers. The girls all turned and headed for the shed, save for Artemis, who hung back to speak to the coach. 

"Is there honestly nothing else we can do about the practice space?" She muttered, glancing back at the rest of her team. "I mean, they all get so tired after practice, and hauling all of our equipment back and forth across both fields would just wear them out even more." The coach hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh, readjusting the baseball cap that sat on his head. 

"You know as well as i do that there's nothing to be negotiated, Artemis," the coach replied, shrugging. "Like you said, the track team needs a track to practice on; it's elementary stuff." Artemis nodded, folding her arms across her chest as she looked over at the track team, who were all stretching on the football field. 

"I know," she mumbled, letting out a groan. "I just don't want the girls to be so irritated during practice." 

"It'll get better," the coach replied. "They won't stay angry forever." Artemis could only nod as she turned and headed over to the shed, rolling her eyes as she heard the rest of the team muttering profanities. 

* * * 

Practice that day, for Artemis, could have been summed up into one simple word: _horrible_. 

Among the constant whining of her teammates came the fact that a heavy storm over the weekend had damaged two of their targets, along with the strings of three of the bows, and, not only that, but eight of the girls were missing their arm guards. By the end of practice, Artemis was tired, hungry, and just about fed up with her team. 

"Alright, ladies, let's get this stuff put away!" The coach announced, and a chorus of groans signaled the end of practice. As the rest of her team began to collect their things and head back to the equipment shed, Artemis hung back, telling her coach that she needed a little extra practice. After everyone had left the baseball field, she placed her quiver on her back and retrieved an arrow, loading it onto the bow. She could feel the wind sweeping through her hair as she took a deep breath, raising the bow out in front of her. She slowly drew back and aimed, looking down the length of the bow before firing. 

_Bullseye_. 

She eyed her near-perfect shot for a moment before reaching behind her to retrieve another arrow, repeating the process. She let out a steady breath as she looked down the length of the arrow -

"Nice shot." 

She let out a yelp, her hand releasing the arrow. It shot from the bow, though it didn't make it very far before burying itself in the dirt, slowly sliding to a stop beside the target. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She snapped, whirling around to come face-to-face with a grinning redhead. "You _never_ sneak up on someone when they're shooting!" 

"Whoa, calm down, Arty," Wally replied, letting out a chuckle. "I'm sorry; I won't do it again." Artemis let out a scoff as she placed her bow on the ground, walking over to the target to retrieve her arrows. 

"I could have shot you, you know," she hissed, kneeling down in front of the target. "What are you doing here, anyway?" Wally shrugged, reaching down to pick up Artemis' bow. 

"Practice was over, and I didn't see you coming back with your team, so I thought I'd come keep you company," he replied, holding the bow out in front of him. "This thing is super cool; it's like a weapon!" 

"Put that down," Artemis ordered, walking back over to Wally. "If you break that, I'm going to get murdered by my coach." Wally didn't pay her any attention as he pretended to aim at the target in front of him, his face now dead-serious. 

"Hey, Artemis, who am I?" He suddenly snickered, clearing his throat as he repositioned himself in front of the target. "'And, I'll be fightin' for my own hand!'" Artemis couldn't help but chuckle as Wally ran a hand through his vibrant red hair, his bottom lip jut out confidently. 

"Ha ha, very funny," Artemis muttered, snatching her bow back from Wally. "Seriously, though, you shouldn't be down here while I'm shooting. It's dangerous." 

"I'll stay out of your way, I promise," Wally replied, digging the toe of his track cleat into the dirt field. "I just want to watch." 

"Yeah, well, as much as I absolutely _love_ your company," Artemis mumbled, rolling her eyes, "I'm finished." She slid her bow on over her shoulder as she walked back over to the target, picking it up off the ground. 

"Hey, let me get that for you," Wally said, snatching the target out of Artemis' arms before she could protest. "You're probably tired from practice, right?" 

"What about you?" She asked as the two began walking off the baseball field and back to the equipment shed. "Didn't you have track practice?" 

"I'm fine," Wally replied, shaking his head like it was no big deal. "Practices hardly ever wear me out, anyway." Artemis couldn't help but eye Wally as he strode beside her, the sun setting behind the school reflecting the beautiful emerald green shade of his eyes. For some reason, Artemis found it kind of weird that he seemed so upbeat; when she'd met him earlier that day, he'd seemed almost reclusive, but now. . . 

"So, I guess this is it," Wally announced, letting out a grunt as he set the target on the ground. It was only then that Artemis realized that they'd made it back to the equipment shed. She opened the shed door and pushed the target in, locking the door afterwards. 

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Artemis said, and she turned and began heading down the track toward the school building. 

"Hey, Arty," Wally called after her, jogging to catch up with her, "can I ask you something?" Artemis rolled her eyes as she removed her arm guard, rubbing at her sore forearm. 

"Artemis," she corrected, shooting Wally an irritated look. "Unlike you, I actually prefer my given name." Wally chuckled, following behind Artemis as the two headed back into the school and down the hall to the locker rooms. 

"Alright, _Artemis_ ," he replied slowly, causing Artemis to roll her eyes, "can I ask you something?" 

"Hm?" 

"Are you like one of those super-cool, 'I could kill you with a single glance', hard-ass types?" Wally asked, and Artemis hesitated, letting out a stiff chuckle as she shoved open the girls' locker room door. 

"You can probably figure that out for yourself, West," she replied, shooting him a little two-fingered salute before slipping inside the locker room and shutting the door in his face. 


	4. Home Sweet Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know, I never asked to become your legal guardian in the first place!" 
> 
> "Yeah, well, I never asked to be your little sister, either."

"You know, Z, you should really consider joining a club, or something," Artemis said, pressing her phone against her ear as she pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head. Zatanna scoffed, letting out a soft groan. 

 _"You really think that would slide with my dad?"_ Zatanna replied, shaking her head. _"Artemis, I had to beg him for years just to let me attend a public school; do you really think he'd sanction me to participate in anything that didn't involve one-hundred-percent adult supervision?"_

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Artemis muttered, rolling her eyes. "No offense, Z, but your life sucks." 

 _"Whatever,_ " Zatanna replied, lying back on her navy-blue bedspread. _"So, what's new with the archery team? I heard you guys got kicked off the field."_ Artemis couldn't help but let out a whine as she briefly recalled the memory of her teammates throwing a fit earlier that afternoon. 

"The track team began practice today," Artemis murmured, letting out a tired sigh. "They had to use the track, so we got booted to the baseball field." 

 _"That sucks,"_ Zatanna replied, chuckling. _"Wait, isn't that new kid on the track team?"_

"Wally?" Artemis asked, earning an affirming hum from Zatanna. "Yeah, why?" 

 _"No reason,"_ Zatanna replied, though the way she drawled out her answer made Artemis cock an eyebrow suspiciously. 

"Z, what are you thinking?" 

 _"Oh, come on, Artemis!"_ Zatanna exclaimed, giggling like a school girl. _"I mean, he's new, he's tall, from what I've seen, the guy has an amazing body, and he's got a pretty great sense of humor! Tell me that he's not total boyfriend material!"_ Artemis couldn't help but scoff as Zatanna began laughing again. 

"Are you serious?" She replied, shaking her head. "The guy's a total tool! Did you not see how he was flirting with every other girl in class today?" 

 _"Still, you met him first; that means that you get first dibs over everyone else!"_ Zatanna replied, grinning. Artemis rolled her eyes as she continued to saunter down the street, readjusting the strap of her backpack over her shoulder. 

"Whatever," she muttered, sighing. "Anyway, I gotta go; I'm almost home." 

 _"Alright, well, I'll talk to you later, then,"_ Zatanna replied, and Artemis hung up, shoving her phone back into the pocket of her jeans. 

The decent mood Artemis had been feeling for the majority of the day was soon overtaken by a feeling of dread as she finally turned down the street that led to her apartment. She let out an uneasy sigh as she crept up the stairs to the front door of the complex and slipped into the building, climbing the remaining flights of stairs until she reached her front door. 

"Jade, I'm home," she called out as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She set the bag of groceries she'd gotten from the store on her way home in the kitchen before kicking off her shoes, making her way into the living room with a package of toilet paper. "Here." She tossed the package onto the couch, where it landed beside a tired-looking, raven-haired woman. 

"Thanks, sis," Jade mumbled, letting out a yawn. "You pick up dinner?" Artemis nodded as she turned and stalked down the dimly lit hallway to her bedroom, where she aimlessly tossed her backpack onto her bed before heading back into the kitchen. 

"How does pizza sound?" Artemis replied, opening the freezer to reveal a stack of frozen pizzas on the shelf inside. Jade groaned from the living room, turning to gawk at Artemis over the back of the couch. 

"We had pizza last night," she whined, running a hand through her messy raven hair. 

"And the night before," Artemis added, folding her arms across her chest as she turned to look at Jade. "What's your point?" 

"I just wish we'd eat something other than pizza," Jade muttered, sighing. "It kind of loses it's flavor after a while, you know?" Artemis scoffed, slamming the freezer door shut. 

"Well, maybe if you'd go out and get a job -" 

"You know I can't do that, Artemis," Jade interrupted, sitting up on the couch. "Not as long as I have this thing." She then propped her right leg up on the back of the couch and pulled up her pant leg, revealing the blinking ankle monitor attached to it. 

"And, how's that my fault?" Artemis replied, gesturing to herself. "I'm already working a part-time job, along with school _and_ archery practice! Do you realize how stressful that is?" 

"As stressful as sitting in a dark and nasty apartment with nothing to do, twenty-four hours a day?" Jade retorted, folding her arms across her chest. Artemis clenched her fists as she let out an irritated growl, her face contorting with frustration. 

"Wow, Jade; just. . . wow," she snapped, shaking her head and disbelief. "Yeah, let's all throw _Jade_ a pity party because she isn't allowed to go and knock off liquor stores, anymore!" 

"How do you think we were affording to still live in this place?!" Jade exclaimed, scowling. "I had no other choice!" 

"You could have gotten a real job, like a _normal_ person!" Artemis snapped back. "Your argument is unjustified!" 

"God, you're such a goody two-shoes," Jade muttered, rolling her eyes. "You know, this is probably why you haven't gotten laid, yet; you don't know how to have any fun!" 

"That has absolutely nothing to do with anything!" Artemis exclaimed, scoffing in disbelief. "If you hadn't been so afraid of taking responsibility for your life, then you wouldn't have ended up like this! You did that to yourself, Jade!" 

"Oh, that's rich!" Jade snapped back, standing up from the couch. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't gone running to Mommy in the first place! Then again, I guess I should be thanking you; if it hadn't been for you, I'd be sitting in a dirty old jail cell." 

"Stop using the fact that I didn't have a legal guardian as an excuse for claiming that you 'got away' with what you did!" Artemis yelled. "And, it was your fault for getting caught! Besides, what was Mom supposed to do, lie to the cops?! You realize that she got arrested for you in the first place, right? She is serving time for your mistakes! And, it isn't just this time, either, Jade! You realize that Mom has been penalized for the past eight years because you just don't know how to take responsibility for yourself! You didn't have to steal that crap from the museum! You didn't have to rob that liquor store! You didn't have to vandalize the town park!" 

"I did it for _us_ , Artemis!" Jade exclaimed. "They needed to know -" 

"No, you were just caught up on the thrill that you forgot where your true values lie," Artemis snapped, shaking her head as she turned and stomped back down the hallway to her room. "Make your own damn pizza; I'm not hungry." 

"Artemis!" Jade called after her, letting out a frustrated growl as Artemis slammed her bedroom door shut, the initial force shaking the apartment. 

"This is stupid," Artemis hissed, sighing as she flopped down on her bed. "This family is stupid." 

 _"Artemis, open the door!"_ Jade ordered, the doorknob rattling. _"We're not done, yet!"_  

"Go away, Jade," Artemis replied, burying her face in her pillow. 

 _"Get out here, now!"_ Jade yelled, banging on the bedroom door. Artemis scoffed, the look on her face hardening as she stared off at her bedroom door. 

"Stop trying to act like Mom," she muttered. "Your impression sucks ass." 

 _"You know, I never asked to become your legal guardian in the first place!"_ Jade snapped, letting out a loud growl as she finally gave up and stormed back out into the living room, leaving Artemis alone in her bedroom. 

"Yeah, well, I never asked to be your little sister, either." 


	5. Stressing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're telling me that you got a perfect score?" 
> 
> "I told you I was smart, Arty. So, what do you say? You still looking for a tutor?"

The next day, as well as the rest of the week, had been weighing down on Artemis. Not only had after-school practices every single day been stressing her out, but school in general was practically ripping apart her sanity. She'd gotten a B- on her pre-calculus test on Tuesday, and on Thursday, she'd found out that she'd received a C on her chemistry test, which, sadly, lowered her overall grade to a C-. Even today, on Friday, she'd been held back after class by her chemistry teacher, who'd told her that she should think about finding a tutor. Then, of course, she had to suffer through her nightly fights with Jade that usually ended with the two splitting off for the night, Jade crashing on the couch in the living room while Artemis ate her dinner alone in her bedroom. All in all, not a good week for Artemis. 

She let out a sigh as she crumpled her less-than-satisfactory test in her hand and stalked out of the girls' locker room toward the school's entrance, pulling her long, blonde hair out of its ponytail. It fell down her back, and she ran her hands through it as she stepped outside into the chilly spring air, the scent of wet grass and leaves filling her nose. 

"Rough day?" 

She nearly jumped as someone called out from behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Wally in front of the school, his feet kicked up on the bench he was sitting on. Artemis frowned and glanced around at the student parking lot in front of her, only to find that it was empty, save for a bright red, crew-cab truck parked near the back. 

"Why are you still here?" She asked, looking back to Wally. "It's five-thirty on a Friday." Wally shrugged, standing from the bench and walking over to Artemis. 

"Honestly, I was waiting for you," he replied, and Artemis couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. 

"Me?" She asked, shaking her head. "Why?" Again, Wally shrugged, the dopey, childish smile returning to his face. 

"A little birdy - and, by that, I mean your friend Zatanna - told me that you were having trouble in chemistry," he replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "I also heard Mister. . . What's-His-Face say that you needed to find a tutor." Artemis scowled, letting out a scoff. 

"I swear, I'm going to kill Zatanna," she muttered out loud before looking back up at Wally. "Thanks, but no thanks, West; I'm good." 

"Oh, really?" Wally asked, a cocky look spreading across his face as he held a piece of paper up by his face. "Then, what's this? A 'C-'?" Artemis' eyes widened as she looked down at her hands, which were now empty, and she quickly snatched her test back, ignoring the chuckle that Wally let out in return. 

"How the hell. . . ?" She muttered, shaking her head. "Nevermind that; why would you be willing to tutor me? I mean, you're taking a lot of advanced classes; isn't that already a lot of work?" Wally shrugged, raking a hand through his vibrant red hair. 

"For you, Arty, I'd push everything else aside to help," he replied, shooting her a wink. Artemis didn't budge. 

"Interesting," she murmured, folding her arms over her chest. "And, how many girls have you used _that_ one on?" 

"I save all my best lines for those who deserve it," Wally replied, throwing an arm around Artemis' shoulders. She stared back at him curiously, though she didn't move away. 

"So, I'm guessing, like, eight today?" She joked, earning a look of fake hurt from the redhead beside her. 

"You wound me, Arty," he whined, placing a hand over his heart. "I promise, I wouldn't dare use second-hand lines on my favorite girl." 

"Favorite girl?" Artemis repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "Dude, you met me five days ago." 

"And, you can't already see the obvious heat between us?" Wally replied, scoffing playfully. "Maybe you need tutoring in a different field of chemistry." Artemis rolled her eyes as she ducked out of Wally's hold, shaking her head. 

"Thanks, but I don't need a tutor," she replied, stuffing her test in the pocket of her sweatshirt. Wally eyed the pocket, his gaze slowly trailing back up to meet Artemis'. 

"You know, I may have something that will change your mind," he said, kneeling on the ground as he set his backpack down in front of him. Artemis watched curiously as he unzipped the biggest pocket and began rummaging around, finally standing again when he had a slip of paper in his hands. "Here." He handed the paper to her, and she took it, flipping it over. 

"No freaking way," she muttered, her eyes widening as she eyed the paper in her hands. "Are you sure this test is yours?" 

"Yep," Wally replied, smiling as he zipped up his backpack. "In case you couldn't tell by the God-awful handwriting." Artemis just let out a quiet hum as she flipped through the test, her eyes scanning over every question and its corresponding answer. 

"You're telling me that _you_ got a perfect score?" She finally murmured, looking back up at Wally. "How? His tests are impossible!" 

"I told you I was smart, Arty," Wally replied, grinning. "So, what do you say? You still looking for a tutor?" As much as Artemis hated to admit it, she was desperate. If she wanted to graduate, then she needed to get her grades up; not only was her diploma at stake, but her position on the archery team - as their Captain, no less - was in jeopardy. Still, with homework and her job, as well as her situation with Jade at home, she didn't have time to balance it all out if she added anything else on top. 

"Thanks, West, but I don't think I have time for a tutor," she replied, handing Wally's test back to him. "Besides, you wouldn't want to waste your time with me; I'm pretty much a lost cause." 

"Well, I -" 

"I gotta go," Artemis interrupted, glancing down at her cellphone. "I'm already late for work." She shot Wally a quick wave before heading out toward the parking lot, taking the sidewalk around the side of the school. 

"You're walking to work?" He called after her, and Artemis paused, shrugging. 

"Well, yeah; how else would I get there?" Wally hesitated for a moment before gesturing for her to follow. 

"Come on," he said, heading off toward the parking lot. Artemis, though slightly suspicious, followed behind him, her mouth falling open a bit as she watched Wally approach the only vehicle left in the entire parking lot; the large, red truck. 

"This is _yours_?" She asked, eyeing the truck as Wally opened the driver's side door. 

"Yep!" He replied, grinning proudly. "Hop in." 

"Um, why?" Artemis mumbled, though she wasted no time in opening the passenger's side door and sliding into the corresponding seat. 

"I'm driving you to work," Wally replied, shoving his keys in the ignition and turning over the engine. Artemis glanced over at him, a look of surprise slowly spreading across her face. 

"You don't have to do that," Artemis mumbled, and she could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as Wally glanced back over at her, a small smile ghosting over his lips. 

"I don't mind," he replied, chuckling. "I just need to know where I'm going." Artemis couldn't help but smile back as Wally pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main highway, following the directions Artemis gave him until they pulled up beside a small, well-lit cafe. 

"You work here?" Wally asked, eyeing the cafe as Artemis unbuckled her seat belt. 

"What, surprised?" She asked, chuckling. 

"Honestly, yeah," Wally replied, smiling. "You don't exactly strike me as the 'barista' type." 

"Fair enough," Artemis replied, gathering up her things as she opened her door. "Um, thanks. . . for the ride." 

"No problem," Wally replied. "Oh, and Arty. . . " He trailed off as he reached into the backseat and pulled a notebook and pen out of his backpack, scribbling something onto the first page before ripping it off and handing it to Artemis. "Here." 

"What's this?" She asked, her eyes scanning over the paper. 

"My email and number," Wally replied, rolling his eyes as Artemis shot him a flat look. "It's just in case you change your mind about the whole tutoring thing. I'm free whenever, so don't be afraid to hit me up." 

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, West," Artemis mumbled as she hopped out of the truck, shoving the paper into her back pocket. "Thanks." Wally shot her a wave as Artemis shut the door behind her and headed into the cafe, a smile slowly spreading across her face. 


	6. What To Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ouch, Arty. That one hurt; I thought I could trust you." 
> 
> "You can, weirdo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short hiatus. Family crap, scholar bowl, cheerleading EVERY night this week, exasperatingly-unreasonable adults, and I've got church events two nights in a row. Plus, I got Academic All-State for both Cheer and Volleyball. Yay.

The following Monday, Artemis sat in her room, stressing over the homework she'd received from her chemistry teacher - after he'd began pestering her about finding a tutor. At the beginning of the year, when Artemis had chosen to take Advanced Chemistry to fill her criteria for her science credits, she never imagined that it would be this hard. When she'd taken chemistry the previous year, she had found it relatively easy; now, with VSPER theories, gas laws, and organic chemistry on the agenda, she didn't know what to do. It was irritating her to no end that she didn't understand anything, and it continued to frustrate her until she finally just gave up, throwing her pencil across her bedroom as she fell back on her bed. 

"This is the worst," she groaned, running her hands down her face. "How the hell does anyone even understand this stuff?!" She let out a sigh, her mind drifting back to the previous Friday, when Wally had offered to tutor her and then given her a ride to work. Hell, he even gave her his number. . . 

"He gave me his number," Artemis repeated out loud, sitting back up in bed as her eyes drifted over to her phone, which was sitting on the nightstand beside her. She hesitated before retrieving it, reaching over across her bed for the pair of jeans she'd been wearing on Friday. She fished out the paper that contained Wally's email address and phone number, unfolding it in front of her. 

"Should I?" I mumbled, her gaze drifting back to the mountain of papers and notes that were scattered across her bed. After a moment of mental debate, she set her phone back down and reached for her laptop instead, which was sitting at the end of her bed. She opened it and logged in, opening her Gmail account. 

"Email is safer," she whispered, glancing down at the paper as she typed Wally's email address into the " _To_ " bar before composing her email. 

**Hey, West, it's Artemis, or Arty, or whatever. . .**

"I can't say that," she hissed, letting out a scoff as she deleted everything but " _Hey, West_ ". 

**Hey, West, it's Artemis.**

**I need help on my chemistry homework. Now, I know what I said about not needing a tutor - don't get me wrong, I don't want you as my tutor -**

"Now, I sound like a bitch," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she deleted everything after " _homework_ ". 

**Hey, West, it's Artemis.**

**I need help on my chemistry homework. While I'm still on the fence about needing a tutor, I would appreciate it if you would help me on this assignment.**

**Thanks.**

Artemis rested her fingers across the keyboard as she scanned over her email, nodding with satisfaction. 

"And, send. . ." she mumbled, letting out a sigh as she pushed her laptop off onto her bed and laid back. She stared up at the ceiling, aimlessly twirling a piece of hair around in her fingers, though she sat back up when her laptop suddenly chimed, the screen lighting up. 

"He replied already?" She whispered, frowning as she scooped up her laptop and placed it on her stomach. 

 **Re: Wallace West** _< @KF_f4st3r_th4n_y0u> _

**Hey, Arty! Sorry, I was working out. What did you have a question over? Was it the homework from today?**

_He works out?_ Artemis thought, shaking her head as she replied to his email. 

**Yeah. While I genuinely don't understand a single thing on this assignment, I mostly had questions over section 6.4, pages 263-264**

**I'm not expecting you to just give me the answers, though.**

**Just, please explain how to do them.**

"Was that a little too. . . rough?" Artemis muttered as she sent the email, and she didn't have to wait more than two minutes for a reply. 

 **Re: Wallace West** _< @KF_f4st3r_th4n_y0u> _

**You know, this would be SO much easier to explain if it was in person.**

Artemis hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keys as she contemplated her reply. 

**Don't push it, West. I just need help with a few simple problems.**

"No tutors, Artemis," she whispered to herself, running her hands through her messy blonde hair. "You don't have time for one -" _Ding_. 

 **Re: Wallace West** _< @KF_f4st3r_th4n_y0u> _

**And, you couldn't even text me? _Email_? _Really_ , Arty? **

Artemis rolled her eyes. 

**If I texted you, then you'd have my number**

**Re: Wallace West** _< @KF_f4st3r_th4n_y0u> _

**Now, would that be such a bad thing? I mean, I gave you _my_ number. **

_Is he serious?_ Artemis thought, letting out a huff. 

**Well, I'm not one to carelessly give out my number to girls I've only met a few days prior.**

**Re: Wallace West** _< @KF_f4st3r_th4n_y0u>_ 

 **Ouch, Arty. That one hurt; I thought I could trust you.** Artemis scoffed. 

**You can, weirdo.**

As soon as she sent the email, Artemis froze, her eyes widening as she stared at her screen. Had she just given him a "pet name"  _and_ a sappy remark within the same sentence?! 

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," Artemis mumbled, running both hands down her face as she let out a low groan. "Great; now, he's going to think that I'm all cheesy and weird, and -" _Ding_. Artemis paused, cautiously lowering her hands away from her face as she glanced back down at her laptop. 

**Good to know; I tend to have a hard time trusting people :)**

"What's that supposed to mean?" Artemis murmured, shaking her head as she reread the email. He had a hard time trusting people? Wally, the boisterous redhead that had hit on every girl in their chemistry class - even the taken ones - during his first day at Gotham North? He seemed to make friends easily, even gaining the attention of a few members of the track team by the first practice; why wouldn't he be trusting?

 _Weird_ , Artemis thought, puffing her cheeks as she slowly began to type back. 

 **I never would have pegged you as the "reserved" type. Are you sure that you should trust me in the first place?** Artemis let out a quiet hum, softly biting at her fingernails as she stared at the screen in front of her. 

 **Of course** , was Wally's reply. **I have this weird sixth sense that allows me to determine whether or not someone is reliable enough. I guess you could compare me to a superhero ;)**

Artemis rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. 

**We're getting off-topic. I emailed you about chemistry homework, remember?**

**Re: Wallace West** <@KF_f4st3r_th4n_y0u> 

 **Maybe, but isn't having an actual conversation with someone every once in a while nice?** Artemis' gaze fell away from her laptop as she looked over to her bedroom door, which was locked shut, her sister no doubt cursing her out on the other side of it. 

 _When was the last time I had a legitimate conversation with Jade?_ Artemis though, letting out a sigh as she looked back to her laptop. 

**I guess so. Anyway, homework?**


	7. Lunch for Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie; because of my Wattpad stuff, updates might be slow.

"Is that a 97 I see?" Wally asked, leaning over Artemis' shoulder as she tried to hide her homework from the redhead. Artemis rolled her eyes, crumpling up her assignment and shoving it into her pocket. 

"Yes," she murmured, pausing in front of her locker. "In all honesty, this is the highest grade I've ever gotten on a chemistry assignment." Wally chuckled, leaning up against the locker beside Artemis' as he watched her throw her books, along with the wrinkled assignment, into her locker before slamming the door shut. 

"Oh, really?" Wally mused, cocking an eyebrow. "And, I suppose that this is all thanks to _moi_?" Artemis rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile as she stepped around Wally, heading for the cafeteria. Wally followed behind her, matching step as the two wandered down the crowded hall. 

"Don't get too cocky, West," Artemis replied. "I eventually managed to figure it out." 

"Maybe so, but it wasn't without _my_ help," Wally teased. 

"What else was I supposed to do?" Artemis whined, shaking her head. "Besides, it wasn't like the instructions you gave me weren't confusing enough! I was up until three this morning just trying to decipher your emails." 

"I suggested meeting face-to-face, but _someone_ decided that it would be a bad idea," Wally muttered, shrugging. Artemis frowned. 

"I didn't say that it would be a bad idea," she mumbled, running a hand through her hair. "I already told you - I don't have time for a tutor." 

"Then, how about time for a quick lunch?" Wally asked, stepping in front of Artemis. Artemis paused, folding her arms across her chest. 

"That's where I'm headed," she replied slowly, gesturing behind Wally. "To the cafeteria." 

"I'm talking about with me," Wally replied, shaking his head. "You said that we could go off-campus for lunch, right?" Artemis opened her mouth to speak, but her breath caught in her throat when an expectant look spread across Wally's face. 

_Is this something I'm seriously considering?_ She thought, shaking her head. _Good Lord, I've grown soft._

"What are you planning, West?" Artemis mumbled, cocking an eyebrow. "You're not trying to kidnap me, or anything, right?" Wally looked surprised for a moment before he smiled, letting out a chuckle. 

"Nope!" He said. "I'm just willing to take you out to lunch for doing _such_ a great job on your homework." 

"Wait, are you serious?" Artemis asked, scoffing. "You're asking me to eat lunch with you?" 

"I believe I said that I would _take you out_ to lunch," Wally replied, turning back around as the two continued down the hallway toward the cafeteria. 

"No, you don't need to do that," Artemis said, shaking her head. "You don't have to -"

"I _want_ to, Arty," Wally interrupted. "I don't mind." 

"But. . . it's weird," Artemis mumbled, averting her gaze to the floor. "I mean, dude, you barely know me." 

"What better way to get to know someone than over food?" Wally replied, shrugging. "Come on, Arty; how can you say no to that?" 

"She can't!" Artemis let out a yelp as Zatanna suddenly threw an arm around her shoulder, the other hand resting on the latter's hip. 

"Zatanna, what the hell?" Artemis murmured, sighing. "Where have you been?" 

"Eavesdropping," Zatanna replied, shrugging halfheartedly. "Anyway, I'm glad I did. You should really take him up on his offer, Artemis." Artemis scowled, folding her arms across her chest as she glared at her best friend. 

"Shut up, Z," she muttered through gritted teeth. "I'm handling it." 

"Not really," Zatanna murmured, pursing her lips. "You really should go, though. It might do you good to put something in your stomach other than crappy cafeteria food." 

"Zatanna!" Artemis whisper-yelled, letting out a groan. 

"So, it's settled, then?" Wally piped up, grinning. "Come on, Zatanna, I'll treat you, too." 

"Okay, Artemis, this guy is totally a keeper," Zatanna murmured, her eyes fixated on Wally, who smiled kindly. 

"Shut up," Artemis whined, shrugging Zatanna off. "Anyway, West, thanks, but we're going to -" 

"Come with you!" Zatanna exclaimed, ignoring Artemis as she shot Zatanna a warning look. "Lead the way, Wallace!" 

"Um, it's Wally," Wally replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. Zatanna chuckled. 

"Okay, then, let's go!" Zatanna said, grinning as she pulled Artemis toward the front of the school, Wally following behind. 

"Zatanna, what the hell are you doing?" Artemis muttered, frowning. 

"Don't worry, Artemis," Zatanna whispered, an eerie smile that sent an uncomfortable shiver down Artemis' spine spreading across her face. "I've got this all under control." 


	8. Best Friend's Influence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, what about you, Arty? How boy-crazy are you?" 
> 
> "'Boy-crazy' isn't exactly a phrase I would use to describe myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter than usual, because I'm feeling generous. And, because I love you :)

"West, seriously?" Artemis groaned, running a hand down her face as she eyed the building in front of her. " _This_ is where you wanted to take me?" 

"Hey, to be fair, I'm not that familiar enough with the area to take you anywhere else," Wally joked, holding his hands up in front of him in defense. "Give me a pass for today, Arty." Artemis rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but offer a small smile. 

"What's wrong with this place, Artemis?" Zatanna asked, walking up to the front door. "It's super nice! They even have this _amazing_ peppermint mocha that is to die for -" 

"I know," Artemis muttered, sighing. "I work here." Zatanna paused just outside the door, looking from Artemis to the building and back. 

"You work here?" Zatanna asked, gesturing to the building, and Artemis nodded. "Huh. You keep too many secrets from me, Artemis. I didn't even know you worked here." 

"Neither did I, until I dropped her off last week after practice," Wally piped up as he locked up his truck, joining the girls outside the door. Zatanna cocked an eyebrow as she looked between the pair in front of her, who were just shooting each other an awkward glance. 

"I see," Zatanna murmured, a smile ghosting over her lips as she turned and opened the door. "Well then, Artemis, shall we?" Artemis opened her mouth to reply, though she could only let out a yelp as Zatanna grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the cafe, Wally following closely behind. The trio headed toward the back of the building and sat down at a table against the wall, Wally sitting across from the girls as Artemis and Zatanna took a seat beside each other on the opposite side of the table. 

"So, does everyone know what they want?" Wally asked, and Zatanna nodded, pursing her lips in thought.

"Peppermint mocha, 24-ounce, whipped cream," she replied before gesturing to Artemis. "Her favorite is a 32-ounce caramel frappuccino with whipped cream and extra caramel." 

"Zatanna," Artemis muttered, shaking her head as she stood from the table. "It's okay, West; I got it." She reached into her pocket to dig out the cash, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes when Wally stood from the table, too. "Seriously, West -" 

"I told you that I would treat you, and I will," Wally interrupted, shooting Artemis a smile. "It's okay, Arty; don't sweat it." 

"Yeah, Artemis," Zatanna hissed through gritted teeth, pulling her best friend back down into her chair. "We wouldn't want to deprive this young man of the joy of buying us lunch, now, would we?" 

"Zatanna," Artemis warned, scowling at the raven-haired girl as she shook her head. "This really isn't necessary -" 

"Too late! He's already gone," Zatanna replied, and Artemis looked back over the table, only to see Wally shooting her a wave from the front counter. Artemis let out a defeated groan and sank back in her chair, running both hands down her face. 

"Zatanna," Artemis whined, sighing, "why are you doing this? What are you up to?" Zatanna scoffed, folding her arms over her chest as she turned in her chair to face her best friend. 

"Artemis, I'm going to be blunt: Wally is the perfect guy for you," she replied, shaking her head when Artemis rolled her eyes. "I swear, it's like you two were meant to date each other! I mean, he even dropped you off at work - which, by the way, you failed to mention all weekend! Aren't best friends supposed to tell each other things like this?" 

"It slipped my mind," Artemis muttered. "And, Zatanna, are you absolutely _crazy_? I've only known the guy for, like, a week, and you're already trying to hook us up?" Zatanna shrugged. 

"He seems to really like you, Artemis," Zatanna replied, smiling as she leaned in a bit. "Not only that, but he dropped you off at work, and he's buying you lunch! I mean, how great is he?" 

"Yeah, and remember when he took one step into class and began hitting on every girl in sight?" Artemis retorted, cocking an eyebrow. "Thanks, Z, but I don't date playboys." 

"Playboy or not, you can't deny that, that boy is capital 'F-I-N-E'," Zatanna murmured, snorting. "And, in case you haven't noticed, he only ever  _flirts_ with the other girls. He only tries legitimately hitting on _you_." 

"With lines that I've heard a million times before," Artemis replied, to which Zatanna knitted her brow. 

"You mean, a guy has _actually_ hit on you in the past?" She exclaimed sarcastically, holding a hand over her heart as she gasped in faux surprise. "Artemis Crock, I am socked!" Artemis shushed Zatanna, shaking her head as her attention darted back to the front of the building, where Wally was standing at the edge of the counter, absentmindedly looking out the window beside him. 

"Shut up," she muttered, sighing. "Either way, Zatanna, I just don't see Wally and I working out. Besides, it's too soon to tell. I mean, he's only been here for -" 

"A week," Zatanna finished, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you've said that about a million times. Haven't you ever heard of this thing called 'love at first sight'?" 

"You mean that over-played myth about two people meeting and instantly falling in love?" Artemis mocked, scoffing. "You know I don't believe in that kind of stuff." 

"Well, _I_ do," Zatanna replied, flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder. "I don't know, there's just something kind of. . . _magical_ about it, you know? Like, it's not a sort of lust that draws you to that person; it's almost like you can just take one look at them and know what kind of person they are, and know whether or not they'd be interested in you, too, like - holy hot damn, who is _that_?" Artemis frowned as Zatanna suddenly looked past her to the very back of the cafe, and she glanced over her shoulder to see a tall, poised boy with raven hair and blue eyes sitting by himself, his eyes fixated on the laptop in front of him. 

"Oh, him?" Artemis muttered, flicking her hand toward the boy. "That's Richard Grayson. He's a regular here." Artemis looked back over to Zatanna, and she couldn't help but chuckle at the obvious sparkle in the girl's eyes. "You wanna go get that?" 

"Hell yeah, I do!" Zatanna whisper-yelled, a dopey grin spreading across her face. "Tell me more about him! What's his favorite color? How old is he? Where does he work? What -" 

"Slow it down, Z," Artemis interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I'm not anywhere near close enough to him to know him that well. However, I _can_ tell you that he is eighteen, always orders a simple french vanilla and hazelnut steamer with sprinkles and a blueberry muffin, he's very reserved, and he works for his father, Bruce Wayne -" 

"Bruce Wayne?" Zatanna exclaimed, and, though her voice was hushed, Artemis could hear the enthusiasm practically dripping from her tone. "Like, the millionaire Bruce Wayne?" 

"More like 'billionaire'," Artemis muttered flatly. "Anyway, that guy goes to Gotham Academy, which is this super fancy school for silver-spoon-fed rich kids, so he probably wouldn't even care about people like -" 

"Shh!" Zatanna suddenly hissed, gripping at the sleeve of Artemis' t-shirt as her gaze fell to her lap. "He's looking over here!" Artemis rolled her eyes as she shot a glance back at Richard, and she was actually surprised to see him gawking at their table, a small smile ghosting over his lips. 

"Z, I think he's looking at you," Artemis mumbled, nudging her best friend. Zatanna slowly raised her head again, brushing a strand of her raven hair out of her eyes as she slowly looked back up at Richard. 

"You think?" She whispered, her cheeks turning a light pink hue. "What should I do?" 

"You've seriously been preaching to me about taking control of my love life, and you -" 

"Point taken," Zatanna muttered, rolling her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Well then, wish me luck." Artemis' eyes widened as Zatanna pushed out of her chair, moving away from the table. 

"What are you doing?" Artemis hissed, shaking her head as she watched Zatanna pass by. Zatanna hesitated as she glanced back at Artemis over her shoulder, smiling. 

"Seizing the moment," she replied, shooting Artemis a wink before she turned and continued on her way to Richard's table. Artemis let out a groan, running a hand down her face as Zatanna paused in front of Richard, placing one hand behind her back while she extended the other out in front of her. Richard grinned as he accepted her hand, gesturing with the other to the seat across from him, and Artemis couldn't help but scoff as Zatanna discretely shot her a thumbs up before taking a seat, her gaze never once leaving Richard. 

"Well, they seem to be having fun." 

"I'll say," Artemis muttered, looking up at Wally as he returned to the table with their drinks. "I'm sorry; I know that she was supposed to eat with us -" 

"Don't worry about it," Wally cut in, chuckling. "I mean, it looks like she's enjoying herself." 

"Yeah, well, her dad's going to kill her when he finds out that she ditched me for a guy," Artemis mumbled, smiling. "Who would have thought that Zatanna Zatara was boy-crazy?" Wally chuckled again as he took a sip of his strawberry-banana smoothie, placing his chin in the palm of his hand as he leaned his elbow against the table. 

"So, what about you, Arty?" Wally asked, cocking his head to the side. "How boy-crazy are you?" Artemis scoffed as she took a sip of her frappuccino, rolling her eyes. 

"'Boy-crazy' isn't exactly a phrase I would use to describe myself," she murmured. "That kind of stuff just doesn't matter that much to me." 

"Even if it was someone that had the biggest crush on you, that would do anything for you, and would strive to prevent letting you down?" Wally asked, taking another sip of his smoothie. Artemis studied him for a moment before slowly shaking her head, her gaze trailing down to the paper cup in her hands. 

"A guy like that sounds more like a liability than anything else," she muttered, shaking her head. "Besides, I wouldn't want someone who would bend to my every will. I'd want someone who. . ." She trailed off, furrowing her brows as her fingers drummed lightly against the tabletop. 

"Someone who, what?" Wally pushed, leaning forward a bit to catch her gaze. Artemis hesitated before letting out a sigh, finally looking back up to Wally. 

"Honestly, I'd just want someone who loves me," she almost whispered, a sad smile ghosting over her lips. "But, you wouldn't have to worry too much about that, West. Trust me, there are plenty of girls out there that would practically throw themselves at you within two seconds flat." 

"Maybe I don't want those girls," Wally replied, his eyes averting for a split second before returning to Artemis'. "Flirting isn't the same as making a commitment, nor a connection with someone else." Artemis frowned, her hand tightening around the cup in her hand. 

"Yet, you mindlessly flirt with every other girl in our class," she replied, shaking her head. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but isn't that like giving those girls that feel differently about you false hope?" Artemis tensed up a bit as Wally's demeanor seemed to change, and she slowly took another sip of her drink, her gaze averting to the floor beside her. 

"I guess you could see it that way," Wally muttered, though Artemis could tell that his tone wasn't as cheerful as before. "Though, if it's any consolation, only the girl I'm really after should be able to tell when my attempts are legitimate." Artemis hesitated before letting out a small hum, though she didn't reply any further. 

_The girl he's really after?_ She thought, shaking her head. _Based on what I've seen, that could be anyone. Unless. . ._

"So, I'm guessing you have a secret crush, then?" She blurted, her eyes widening the slightest bit. 

_I didn't mean to say it out loud!_ She scolded herself, resisting the urge to grimace. 

"You could say that," Wally replied, chuckling, and Artemis, surprised by his reply, finally looked back up to him, her brows knitted together. 

"Really? Already?" She asked, shaking her head when Wally nodded. "But, you've only been here for, like, a week." 

"I know," Wally murmured, shrugging, "but sometimes, you have to become that sucker that believes in finding the best things first and immediately trying to obtain them for himself - if it makes it easier for you, just call it 'love at first sight'." 

_No_ , Artemis thought, shaking her head lightly. _There's no way in hell that both he and Zatanna would -_

"I think you're friend's coming back," Wally interrupted her train of thought, gesturing behind Artemis, and she slowly glanced over her shoulder to see Zatanna waving to Richard as she headed back over to Wally and Artemis. 

"Oh, my God, Artemis, you will not _believe_ what just happened to me!" Zatanna squealed as she reclaimed her seat beside the blonde, the biggest grin Artemis had ever seen plastered across her face. 

"Please, Z, enlighten me," Artemis mumbled flatly, placing her cheek in the palm of her hand. 

"Um, while I hate to put this on hold," Wally piped up as Zatanna opened her mouth to speak, "our lunch break is almost over." Artemis nodded, and the three grabbed their drinks and stood from the table, heading back toward the front of the cafe. Artemis caught Zatanna shooting a final wave to Richard before the trio slipped though the door and out into the parking lot, and she pulled Zatanna along behind her as they all headed for Wally's truck. 

"So, Zatanna," Artemis announced, smirking at the latter as they all hopped inside and buckled in, "what happened with Richard?" 


	9. We Aren't!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, I mean, I see only one plausible solution to this." 
> 
> "And, what would that be?" 
> 
> "Well, obviously, we've got to start dating, now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short hiatus. 
> 
> Prepare for some crappy-ass OCs; I needed characters to stir up some drama, and I was running out *sweatdrops*

"West, is this going to become a regular thing, now?" Artemis muttered, rolling her eyes as Wally approached her on the baseball field, earning a few curious glances from the rest of Artemis' teammates, who were collecting the rest of the practice equipment from that same afternoon. 

"Maybe," Wally replied, shrugging halfheartedly as he made his way to Artemis' side, picking up the target that was in front of her. Despite Artemis' contradictory excuses, Wally brushed her off and bent down to pick up the target, ignoring the whispers coming from behind him. 

"Seriously, West?" Artemis murmured, letting out a groan as she glanced around at her gawking teammates. "This is embarrassing!" 

"What's so embarrassing about it?" Wally asked, waiting for Artemis to place the last of her arrows into her quiver and sling it over her shoulder before the two turned and began heading off the field. 

"Because. . ." Artemis trailed off, running a hand down her face. "Just because!" 

"Well, what about those two?" Wally asked, nodding toward a couple that was standing in the distance, across the football field; it was Conner and his girlfriend. "I mean, I'm on the track team with that guy -" 

"Yeah, well, that's different!" Artemis said, frowning. "The two of them are dating! It's not uncommon for couples to walk with each other after practice." 

"So, then, what's the problem, here?" Wally asked, and Artemis froze, shooting the redhead a sharp glare. 

"People are going to think _we're_ dating!" She hissed through gritted teeth, briefly recalling the questions she'd received from the nosy classmates in her pottery class that had seen her and Wally walking into the school together after they'd returned from lunch. "Do you know what kind of rumors are going to spread?" 

"Who cares?" Wally replied, shrugging as he continued to walk straight ahead toward the storage shed. "Rumors are stupid. I doubt there's anyone out there that hasn't gotten plagued by a rumor or two, before." 

"Well, yeah, but -" 

"Hey, Artemis!" Artemis let out a groan as she slowly turned to face a small group of her teammates, who were all carrying their equipment in their arms. "Can we talk to you for a sec?" 

"Go ahead, Arty," Wally jumped in before Artemis had a chance to speak. "I'll take this back for you." With that, he shot Artemis a wink and continued on to the equipment shed, paying no mind to the look of utter shock on Artemis' face. 

 _That bastard_ , she thought, her expression contorting to one of irritation. _He's **enjoying** harassing me! _

"So, Artemis," one of the girls, a high-strung blonde that Artemis knew from the cheer squad, called out, setting her target down on the ground in front of her before placing a hand on her hip. "What's going on between you and Wallace?" 

"None of your damn business, Tori," Artemis replied, shooting the blonde a smug smile. "Besides, there's nothing going on in the first place." The blonde, Tori cocked an eyebrow before nodding to a shorter brunette behind her, who lowered her head a bit, the look on her face turning meek. 

"Good to know," Tori replied, "because Livvy, here, doesn't need you butting in." The brunette, Livvy, let out a light gasp, shooting a confused look at the back of Tori's head. Artemis simply shook her head. 

"Not like I have any idea what you're talking about in the first place," she muttered, rolling her eyes, "but I have no intention of getting in Livvy's way." She then turned back around and continued walking, flicking her ponytail back over her shoulder. 

"You already have!" Artemis paused again, looking back over her shoulder to see a tall girl with chestnut hair standing in front of the other two girls, her fists clenched at her sides as an obvious look of irritation took over her face. 

"What are you talking about, Casey?" Artemis asked, folding her arms over her chest. "What did I ever do to you?" 

"You're flirting with Wallace!" Casey replied, gesturing to Livvy behind her. "You know that Livvy has a crush on him!" 

"What?" Artemis muttered, her brows furrowing in confusion. "No, I didn't." 

"Casey, it's okay," Livvy finally piped up, pulling at the sleeve of Tori's practice shirt. "Tori, tell her to stop -" 

"Don't pull that crap with us, Artemis," Tori hissed, her upper lip pulled up in a sneer. "You had to have known. Livvy talks about him all the time in practice!" 

 _In all honesty, I don't pay attention to anyone during practice_ , Artemis thought, her eyebrows raised in surprise. _I had no idea that Livvy had a crush on Wally!_

"Tori, we're not dating," Artemis stated, shaking her head. "Okay? And, even if we were, it's not any of your business." 

"Oh, bull -" 

"Tori, just stop!" Livvy muttered, pulling Tori back. "You, too, Casey!" Casey, who'd been glaring at Artemis the entire time, finally took a step back, letting out a scoff as she dragged her target off to the storage shed, intentionally shoulder-checking Artemis on her way by. Tori was the next to leave, snatching up her own target and walking as fast as she could to catch up with Casey. Artemis watched the two of them approach the storage shed with a bored look, though it disappeared when Livvy, who was now standing directly in front of her, cleared her throat, regaining Artemis' attention. 

"Livvy, listen -" 

"No, it's okay, Artemis," Livvy interrupted, offering a tiny smile as she brushed a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. "I-I'm sorry about Casey and Tori; they were just sticking up for me. But, in all reality, if you and Wallace are dating, then I don't want to get in the way." 

"Livvy, we're not dating!" Artemis repeated, placing her hands on Livvy's shoulders. "I swear, we're not." 

"It's. . . It's not just that," Livvy replied, hanging her head a bit. "Artemis, even if you're not dating, Wallace acts like you are, and -" 

"That's just his personality," Artemis murmured, rolling her eyes. "We both know that he isn't serious about that dating stuff." She immediately wanted to take it back when Livvy raised her head, and Artemis could see the obvious hurt in her eyes. "U-Uh, Livvy, that - that kind of came out wrong -" 

"He might not do the 'dating stuff'," Livy murmured, her face contorting the slightest bit, "but it's hard for me to believe that there isn't something in between the two of you." Before Artemis could reply, Livvy brushed her off and stepped past her, leaving Artemis behind. It was only then that Artemis noticed that she was the only one left on the field, and she couldn't help but let out a groan, clutching the sides of her head in her hands. She knew that this would happen if Wally continued to hang around her. She knew that it would start something! And yet, no matter how many times she'd told him to buzz off, he never bothered to listen to her. 

 _Now, they're going to be pissed with me_ , Artemis thought, shaking her head as she turned and trudged the rest of the way off the field, all the way back to the equipment shed. She didn't bother acknowledging Wally, who'd been waiting for her, as she opened the door and placed her bow and quiver on their respective racks, slamming the door shut behind her. 

"They got to you first, huh?" Artemis finally looked up at Wally, who was leaning up against the side of the shed, his gaze focused on something in the distance, and as Artemis turned her head, she couldn't help but scoff and roll her eyes at the sight of the trio of girls making their way back to the school. 

"Sure did," she muttered, folding her arms across her chest as she turned back to Wally. "I told you something like this was going to happen!" 

"I didn't think they'd confront you like that," Wally replied, his peridot-green eyes shifting to Artemis. "I'm sorry." 

"Wally, I was just hounded by those girls for a solid ten minutes because they think that we're dating!" Artemis exclaimed, gesturing to the girls, who'd already disappeared into the school. "They think that I 'betrayed' Livvy, or whatever, and now, I'm pretty sure they've got it out for me, now!" 

"It's all because they think we're dating?" Wally murmured, to which Artemis scoffed, giving him an exasperated look. 

" _Yes_!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Have you not been listening to me?" Wally nodded, running a hand through his sweat-damp red hair. 

"Well, I mean, I see only one plausible solution to this," he replied, nodding sarcastically, and Artemis clenched her jaw, her fingers drumming frantically against her biceps. 

 _He's not even listening to me!_ She let out a huff, scowling. 

"And, what would that be?" She muttered through gritted teeth. 

"Well, obviously," Wally replied, flicking his hand in the air, "we've _got_ to start dating, now." Artemis opened her mouth to speak, though she cut herself off when she'd finally processed Wally's words. 

 _W-What the hell?!_ She just stared at Wally, who was now smiling at her, one eyebrow cocked as he waited for Artemis to respond. 

"W-What the hell are you playing at, West?" Artemis hissed, finally finding her voice. "Did you not just say that those girls approached you, too?" 

"I did," Wally replied, giving a curt not. "But, I mean, if we start dating, then the rumors will go away -" 

"You know exactly why dating each other is a bad idea!" Artemis exclaimed, shaking her head. "You _do_ realize that the two of us could get killed, right? Namely, _me_! By _your_ crazy fangirls!" Artemis hesitated as the look on Wally's face hardened, and she almost wanted to ask him what was wrong, if she hadn't been so flustered. "Look, Wally -" 

"No one can ever date anyone without breaking a few hearts," he cut her off, his arms falling back to his sides as he pushed away from the shed to stand in front of Artemis. "I honestly don't care about what those girls say about us; if you say we're not dating, then we're not dating, and I'll back you up on that. I just don't want this to ruin our friendship." 

 _Friendship_? Artemis pressed her lips together, her gaze averting to the grass beneath her feet. _That's right; I guess we **are** kind of friends, now. _

"Fine," she muttered, letting out a sigh as she turned away from the shed. "Just. . . please don't let this get out of control." 

"I'll try," Wally replied after a moment of hesitation, and Artemis gave a slight nod as the two made their way back to the school, the silence between them growing more and more awkward with every step.  


	10. Out Of Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Zatanna, slow down! What's going on?" 
> 
> "It's Wally! He's in trouble!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for a lengthy chapter; again, sorry for the crappy OCs.

It was about nine-thirty in the evening when Artemis finally exited the cafe, letting out a tired sigh as she thanked God that her shift was over. After dealing with a group of girls from Gotham Academy that couldn't figure out how much to tip, a couple that spilled both of their drinks onto the floor, and a customer that brought in a dog, which triggered one of the fellow barista's allergies, Artemis just wanted to go home. 

_I actually want to go home_ , Artemis thought, letting out a scoff as she zipped up her hoodie, pulling her backpack up over her shoulder. _I really **must** be tired_. As she made her way down the sidewalk toward her apartment, she paused at a stoplight to pull out her phone, which had been ringing in her pocket. 

"Zatanna?" She murmured, her brow furrowing a bit as she answered the call, pressing the phone to her ear. 

"Hel -" 

_"Artemis, where are you?!"_ Zatanna screeched, and Artemis let out a yelp, holding the phone out in front of her. 

"Zatanna, what gives?" She groaned, letting out a sigh. "That hurt!" 

_"Where have you been?!"_ Zatanna asked, and Artemis was immediately worried by how frantic her voice sounded. 

"Hold on, Z; what's wrong?" 

_"Artemis, you have to get back to the school,"_ Zatanna rushed, almost breathlessly. _"They won't stop fighting each other! You have to get back here and do something!"_

"Zatanna, slow down!" Artemis exclaimed, shaking her head. "What's going on?" 

_"It's Wally!"_ Zatanna replied, and Artemis' mouth fell open, her eyes widening. _"He's in trouble!"_

* * * 

"What the hell?!" Artemis exclaimed, bending over at the waist as she struggled to catch her breath. She'd sprinted all the way back to the school, ignoring the cries of her aching muscles as she ran to the front of the student parking lot. When she was finally able to take a deep breath, Artemis stood up straight, and she gasped at the scene in front of her. 

Four guys from the fall football team had lined up their cars in a circle, all four sets of headlights shining toward the middle of the ring, giving it the illusion of an arena. There was a multitude of other cars that belonged to the people that had arrived to watch what was unfolding in the ring, and as Artemis hurdled over the hoods of said-cars and shoved through the thick crowd of bystanders to make it to the center of the circle, she was shocked to see Wally on his knees, one hand gripping his side while the other was placed on the ground in front of him, holding him up. 

_Oh, my God_ , she thought, her eyes darting around the redhead's disheveled figure. _He got the shit beaten out of him! But, who -?_

"Artemis!" Artemis was barely able to make out Zatanna's voice over the cheers of the surrounding crowd as the latter came running at the blonde, practically throwing herself into Artemis' arms. "Thank God; I didn't think you'd make it!" 

"Zatanna, what the hell is going on?" Artemis asked, looking back to the group of football boys that were circling Wally, the smirks on their faces all but creeping Artemis out. 

"Livvy told me that she tried to call you, but you didn't pick up!" Zatanna exclaimed, shaking her head. "Apparently, these guys and a couple of the other track members ambushed Wally when he left the locker room. When he tried getting into his car, they pulled him out into the parking lot and -" Artemis gritted her teeth as one of the track members hauled back and kicked at Wally, knocking him onto his side, and the crowd around them went wild, the majority of them cheering on the group while a few kept screaming for Wally to get up, which, in all reality, was starting to get harder for him to do. 

"This is ridiculous," Artemis snapped, brushing Zatanna off as she stepped into the center of the circle, only pausing when she was nearly standing in front of Wally. 

"What the hell is she doing?" She heard one of the football boys ask, and Artemis turned to glare at him, her fists clenching at her sides as she shot him the dirtiest look she could muster. 

"What the fuck do you think _you're_ doing?!" She finally snapped, and the crowd around them slowly began to fall silent, the spectators now glancing at each other curiously. "This is completely unnecessary!" 

"Move out of the way, Artemis," a gruff voice came from behind her, and Artemis whirled around to see one of the football boys standing directly behind her; the Captain, no less. 

"David?!" Artemis exclaimed, her eyes widening. "What are you doing here? Why are you -" 

"I said, _move_ ," David muttered, grabbing hold of her arm. Artemis didn't know what came over her, but she suddenly grew incredibly pissed, and she smacked David's hand away, shoving him back. 

"Get away from him," she hissed, kneeling down beside Wally. "What the hell do you guys think you're doing? He can barely move!" Wally let out a groan as Artemis reached down to help him sit up, and he leaned into her side, his eyes slowly fluttering open. 

"A-Arty?" He mumbled as his gaze slowly rose to meet Artemis', who scowled. "What the hell are you doing here?"  

"Damn it," she whispered, shaking her head as she looked back up at David. "Why the hell would you do something like this?! What has Wally ever done to you?" 

"Do you remember last fall?" Another football boy called out from the other side of the circle, gaining Artemis' attention. "Before the Homecoming game?" 

"What the hell?" Artemis murmured, racking her brain. "Are you talking about -" 

"When David confessed to you?" One of the track members piped up, letting out a scoff as he moved to stand beside David. "You broke his heart before the most important game of the year! And, now, we find you sneaking off with the new guy? What kind of bitch does that?" 

"Don't talk about her like that, you prick," Wally muttered, letting out a grunt as he moved away from Artemis. "You don't deserve her -" 

"Shut up, asshole!" David snapped, hauling back to slug Wally, but, before his fist made contact, Artemis shoved Wally out of the way, and the crowd around the group let out a simultaneous gasp as Artemis grabbed David's wrist with both hands, stopping it in place before he had a chance to land a hit to her chest. David immediately froze, his eyes widening as he stared at Artemis, who was practically fuming. 

"A-Artemis, I -" 

"The next time any of you try to lay a finger on him, you will answer to me," Artemis spat, her eyes blazing with anger as she threw David's arm back to him. "And, first of all, David, the two of us aren't dating. Second of all, Wally's right; a dick like you doesn't deserve the dirt on the bottom of my shoe. Third of all. . ." Another gasp came from the crowd as Artemis quickly hauled back and delivered a sharp slap to the side of David's face, causing the latter to stumble back in surprise. 

"Get the fuck out of here," Artemis muttered, stepping back toward Wally. She then moved her gaze away from David to the surrounding crowd, most of which were filming the event on their phones. Artemis let out a growl, baring her teeth as she began shaking her head. 

"All of you, get the fuck out of here!" She screamed, and everyone around her began scrambling to get back to their respective vehicles, clearing out of the parking lot in no more than a couple of minutes. The guilty party was the last group to leave, a still-stunned David following another football boy into a solid black crew-cab truck before the pair peeled out of the parking lot, followed by the rest of the group. When Artemis finally looked around for a final time, she was surprised to see that, not only had Zatanna stayed behind, but she hadn't even noticed Conner, his girlfriend, and the trio of girls from earlier that afternoon standing behind her. 

"Conner, help me get him up," Artemis muttered, and Conner was almost instantly at her side, throwing one of Wally's arms around his shoulders while Artemis did the same on the other side, and the two pulled Wally to his feet. 

"We need to get him to the hospital," Conner muttered, and Artemis nodded as the two began dragging Wally over to what she could only assume was Conner's blue-and-white truck. 

"Guys, seriously, you don't need to do that," Wally murmured, letting out a strained groan as the two accidentally shifted him. 

"Shut up," Artemis snapped, pulling open the door to the backseat. She then handed Wally off to Conner as she climbed into the backseat and grabbed Wally by the shoulders, helping pull him inside the truck. 

"Arty -" 

"I said, shut up!" Artemis hissed, helping Wally sit up before sitting back. "Just. . . don't say anything." Artemis let out a sigh as she moved over to the other side of the cab, shoving the door open and stepping back out into the parking lot. She wasted no time in striding up to the trio of girls, who were already being screamed at by an angry Zatanna. 

"Back off, Z," Artemis muttered, taking her place beside the latter. "It's my turn." The three girls all shot Artemis a worried look before glancing at each other, and, finally, Casey stepped up first, her gaze fixated on the ground in front of her. 

"Artemis, we're sorry -" 

"I knew it!" Artemis hissed, shaking her head. "I just knew that you three had to be involved in this, somehow!" 

"I-It wasn't their fault, okay?" Tori piped up, pulling Casey back. "It was me! I told my boyfriend about you and Wally, and he must have told David -" 

"So, _you_ did this?" Artemis muttered, the scowl on her face deepening. " _You're_ the reason that Wally just got the shit beaten out of him?" 

"To be fair, this wasn't just about you," Tori murmured, letting out a gasp when Artemis took a step toward the group. "I-It wasn't just because of you and Wally! I heard from my boyfriend that David had been planning on getting Wally, anyway!" Artemis paused, her brow furrowing the slightest bit. 

"What do you mean?" She asked, shaking her head. "Are you saying that this was a planned attack?" 

"M-More or less," Tori squeaked, hunching her shoulders nervously. "David's been pissed at Wally since he got here; something about how the new guy just has to be this perfect jock, and about how Wally always gets good grades, or something. . ." 

"So, not only is he getting picked on because David is a jealous asshole," Artemis snapped, causing all three girls to flinch, "but he's getting beat up for being smart!" Artemis paused, letting out a dry chuckle. "Are you fucking kidding me?! God, how pathetic can you guys get?!" 

"Artemis!" Zatanna called, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Come on, we need to get Wally to a doctor." Artemis' gaze lingered on the three girls in front of her before she gave a stiff nod, following Zatanna back to Conner's truck. Zatanna joined Artemis in the back seat while Conner and his girlfriend, who Artemis soon learned was named "Megan", climbed into the front. Conner wasted no time in starting his truck and burning rubber to make it to the hospital in a record three minutes. 

When they finally arrived, Megan and Zatanna stayed behind while Conner and Artemis dragged Wally into the ER, where he was immediately fawned over by a couple of nurses, who took him into a patient's room to do a routine check-up. 

"I'm sorry about this," Conner muttered as he and Artemis waited outside the room for Wally. "I had no idea that David would take it that far; not only that, but the guys from our team? I never imagined. . . I swear, if Megan hadn't been holding me back -" 

"Thanks, Conner," Artemis murmured, letting out a sigh as she leaned back against the wall behind her. "Thanks for staying there." 

"But, I wasn't able to do anything -" 

"I knew this would happen," Artemis interrupted, shaking her head. "God, I am such an idiot! I should have just ignored him in the first place! I should have just let him do his thing, and left him alone! But, no! He had to cling to my side like a lost puppy and -" 

"Excuse me, but are either of you Artemis Crock?" Artemis cut her rant short as one of the nurses poked their head out into the hallway, looking between the two teens. 

"U-Uh, yeah, that's me," Artemis replied, shooting Conner a confused look as the nurse waved her into the room. 

"He's been asking for you," the nurse explained, and Artemis watched as she and the other nurse stepped back out of the room, closing the door behind them. 

"Hey, Arty," Wally mumbled from the bed in front of her, and Artemis frowned, folding her arms across her chest as she finally took a second to examine Wally. He looked so beaten; his bright red hair was a ratty mess, his clothes were covered with dirt, his lip was busted and bleeding, his wrist was swollen, as was his cheek, and he already had a solid bruise forming under his eye. Artemis felt her stomach churn as she gazed at the beaten boy in front of her, who simply shot her a sheepish smile. 

"So, I know that this probably doesn't look good, but -" 

"What the hell is wrong with you, West?" Artemis whispered, shaking her head. "Why did you do that?" 

"Arty -" 

"Why did you have to get into a fight with those guys?" Artemis asked, walking up to the side of the bed Wally was sitting on. "What the hell happened, in the first place?!" The look on Wally's face hardened, and he frowned, his bangs falling over his eyes as he hung his head. 

"You should have heard the things they said about you," he muttered, and Artemis paused, a bit surprised. "One of those girls from before told her boyfriend that I had hurt her friend Libby, or Lucky, or something, and he got pissed off and told David, and, I guess that guy is obsessed with you, or something, because a group of them jumped me when I left the locker room. That David guy personally dragged me out of my truck and threw me on the asphalt, claiming that he needed to 'teach me a lesson'; I already knew that it wasn't going to be good." 

"Then, you should have called someone!" Artemis replied, shaking her head. "You should have -" 

"Fought back?" Wally interrupted, raising his head again to meet her gaze. He then lifted his hand, then one with the swollen wrist. "Yeah, I tried that; while I may be a great runner, I'm not that great when it comes to contact sports, like fighting, for Christ's sake." 

"I wouldn't have asked you to fight!" Artemis exclaimed. "You should have just run, Wally! Forget fighting! You should have just -" 

"I'm so sick of running, damn it!" Wally suddenly snapped, and Artemis flinched, taking a hesitant step back. "I'm tired of just turning tail and bolting! I'm tired of not being able to fight back! I'm sick and tired of all of this!" Artemis watched as Wally grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and chucked it across the room, knocking over a bottle of water that was perched atop a table against the opposite wall. 

"What do you mean?" She finally mumbled after Wally had calmed down a bit. "Has this happened before?" She waited for Wally to respond, but when it was obvious that he wasn't going to, Artemis knelt down on the floor in front of him, placing a hand on his knee. He flinched, though he didn't move away. "Wally?" 

"You have no idea what it's like, Arty," he finally murmured, raising his head to look Artemis in the eye, ans she almost drew away in surprise at the sight of tears glistening in his gorgeous green eyes. "I hate being so smart. I hate the fact that I can run for hours without getting winded. I hate the fact that I have one of the suckiest names on the planet! I hate the fact that. . ." He trailed off, letting out a sigh as he averted his gaze to the floor in front of him. "More than anything, I hate the fact that I tried to flirt with other girls just to get the girl I like the most to notice me; not that it really worked, but. . ." 

"Those guys are jealous assholes, West," Artemis replied, shaking her head. "I would _kill_ to have a brain like yours! And, your stamina? Who gives a fuck if the others don't have it? They should be proud to have such a strong member on their team!" 

"Arty -" 

"Not to mention, your name," Artemis continued, and she couldn't help but let out a light chuckle. "Sure, maybe 'Wallace' does sound a little dopey, but who cares? The fact that you don't like your name doesn't make you any less of a person!" The look on Wally's face softened a bit as he smiled, his eyes returning to Artemis. 

"I guess you're right," he murmured, his smile wavering the slightest bit, "but, I hope you know that what happened tonight wasn't just because I was throwing myself a pity party." Artemis frowned, shaking her head lightly. 

"I don't think I understand," she replied, and Wally hesitated before letting out a sigh. 

"Remember when I said that you should have heard the things they were saying about you?" He murmured, and Artemis nodded. "Well, that was the only reason I didn't - _couldn't_ \- just run away. Arty, they were slandering you. The guys from the football team, or whatever, were all calling you a slut and a cheater because you didn't go out with that David guy; not to mention, the track team kept asking me some really unnerving questions." 

"Such as?" 

"Just questions," Wally replied, shooting Artemis a look of caution when she rolled her eyes. "I don't think we should talk about this anymore." 

"Wally, you think I give a damn about what any of those dicks think of me?" Artemis asked, gesturing to nothing in particular. "Just tell me; it's not like I'm going to get offended." In all honesty, what Wally had already said had hurt Artemis enough, but the idea of not knowing what those guys had said about her practically ate away at the hurt, leaving behind anticipation. 

"I'm not going to tell you, Artemis," Wally said, shaking his head. "Mostly because I don't want to know, in the first place; then again, it's not like I'd care -" 

"Wally," Artemis snapped, placing her hands on his shoulders as she leaned forward to look him in the eye. "Tell me." Wally searched between the two of her eyes for a moment before letting out a sigh, reaching up with his uninjured arm to run a hand through his hair. 

"Well, for one, they were asking questions about the two of us," he mumbled, his gaze falling to the floor. "Whether or not we'd had sex, the kinds of things we'd done; just juvenile stuff like that. . ." 

"Okay," Artemis drawled out, though she was afraid to admit that what Wally had said had made her uncomfortable. "What else?" 

"There was something else," Wally murmured, pursing his lips. "They started asking me if I was a convict; if I'd ever been to prison, if I'd ever committed a crime, or something. They didn't even give me a chance to say 'no' before they started calling me 'prison trash' and a few other sixth-grade-level insults. But, they never told me why - Arty?" A look of worry soon crossed over Wally's face as Artemis' mouth fell open, her eyes widening. She slowly took a step back, her hands slipping away from Wally's shoulders and back to her sides. 

"U-Um, was that all?" Artemis asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Arty, are you okay?" Wally asked, his eyes darting around her figure. "You don't look so good; what's wrong?" 

"I'm fine," Artemis mumbled, her gaze averting to the floor. "I'm just tired." Wally wasn't so sure about that. 

"Arty -" 

"I-I'll let you get some rest," Artemis interrupted, turning back toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Arty!" Wally called as Artemis headed for the door, stepping out into the hallway. Before she left, though, Artemis paused in the doorway and turned back to Wally, taking a moment to look over his beaten-up figure. She felt horrible about what had happened. Wally had stood up for her, and, in return, he'd gotten hurt. Artemis couldn't help but feel that it was her fault. 

"I'll see you later, West," she muttered, shooting him a pitiful smile before shutting the door behind her, ignoring the questioning stare she received from Conner as she strode down the hallway to the hospital's exit. She didn't bother to stop by the truck to tell Megan and Zatanna that she was leaving as she turned down the street and headed for home, the weight of the guilt she was feeling weighing down on her. 


End file.
